the planting of english america

The Planting of English America1500-1733

North America in the 1600• South America and Mexico had been radically altered by

European contact• North America in 1600 largely unclaimed and unexplored• Early 1600s – 3 European powers make claims in the 3

different parts of North America• 1607- English in Jamestown• 1608 – French in Quebec• 1610 – Spanish in Santa Fe

England’s Imperial Stirrings• Why England colonized Americas late

• First ½ of 1500s, England was Spain’s ally and had little interest in competing with Spain

• In the 1530s, Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church, setting off decades-long religious conflict

• Protestantism became dominant in England when Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1558

• This intensified the rivalry with Catholic Spain

• Ireland became an early scene of conflict between England and Spain• Catholic Irish wanted independence from England

• 1570 – 1580s English troops crushed Irish uprising using extremely brutal tactics• English soldiers developed contempt for Irish “savages”; attitudes brought New World Indian

“savages”• Protestant landlords “planted” on confiscated Irish land (plantations”

Elizabeth Energizes England• Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603)

• Powerful and popular queen• Encouraged English expansion

• “sea dogs”• English pirates who plundered Spanish treasure ships and settlements (even though

England and Spain were technically at peace)• Encouraged by ambitious Queen Elizabeth• Most famous was Sir Francis Drake

• Traveled world; brought back huge amount of treasure to England stolen from Spanish

• Newfoundland• First English attempt at colonization• Collapsed when its promoter, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, died at sea (1583)

• Roanoke• 1585 – island settled off coast of Virginia by Gilbert’s half-brother, Sir Walter Raleigh• Roanoke colonists disappeared; still a mystery as to what happened to them

Elizabeth Energizes England • Spanish Armada

• Catholic Spanish King Philip II assembled “Invincible Armada” of ships to invade England• Spanish goals were to end the Protestant Reformation and take revenge for English raids by sea

dogs

• In 1588, the Spanish sailed for England• English sea dogs attacked using better ships (faster, more maneuverable, with better crew) and

inflicted heavy damages on the Spanish• Then huge storm (the “Protestant wind”) finished off the Spanish

• Spanish Armada was the beginning of the end for the Spanish empire• Took 3 more centuries for empire to fully unravel as Spain lost its overseas colonies• Spain had overreached itself, sowing the seeds of its own destruction

• Importance of the Spanish Armada to England• England’s navy dominant in North Atlantic, eventually led to England becoming world’s strongest

ocean power• Dampened Spain’s fighting spirit• England now displayed characteristics that Spain earlier had: a strong unified country, under

popular monarch, religious unity (Protestants had put down Catholics), and a strong sense of nationalism

• 1604 – peace treaty between English and Spanish

England on the Eve of Empire• England’s “surplus population”

• Population expanding (increased 1 million to 4 million by 1600)• English land owners enclosed croplands for sheep grazing, removing many

people from the land• Late 1500s depression hit wool industry, putting many people out of work

• Puritans strong in these areas

• Laws of primogeniture – only eldest sons inherited estates; ambitious younger sons (like Gilbert, Raleigh, Drake) had to seek fortunes elsewhere

• Early adventurers (on their own) were unsuccessful• Joint-stock company, forerunner of the modern corporation, were

perfected in the early 1600s• Investors (“adventurers”) pooled capital to finance trips to the New World

England on the Eve of Empire• The stage was now set for English colonization

• Peace with Spain• Population Growth• Unemployment• Thirst for adventure, market, religious freedom• Joint-stock companies

England Plants the Jamestown Seedling

• Virginia was vaguely defined area in the New World named for “virgin” Queen Elizabeth

• Virginia Company of London• Joint-stock company chartered by King James I• Purpose was gold and desire to find passage through America to Indies• Few investors thought of long-term colonization

• Only intended for the company to exist for a few years; investors would then liquidate it for profit• Enormous pressure put on colonists to quickly find riches or risk being abandoned

• The charter of the Virginia Company• Guaranteed to colonists same rights as Englishmen as if they had stayed in England• This provision incorporated into future colonists’ charters• Became controversial when rebellious colonists insisted on “rights of Englishmen”

against government they believed were taking these rights away

England Plants the Jamestown Seedling• Late 1606 Virginia Company sent out 3 ships

• Spring 1607 landed at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay; attacked by Indians there and moved up the bay

• May 24, 1607 about 100 colonists (all men) landed at Jamestown, along banks of James River (both named for the king)

• The site was easily defended, but swarmed with disease-causing mosquitoes

• Nightmare of Jamestown during the early years• 1606-1607 about 40 people did on voyage to New World• 1609 another ship from England lost leaders and supplies in a shipwreck off

Bermuda• At Jamestown, settlers died by the dozens due to disease, malnutrition, starvation• “gentlemen” colonists would not work themselves• Settlers wasted time looking for gold instead of hunting and farming• 1608 John Smith took control of colony and set up strict rule

• Smith was credited with saving the colony• “He who shall not work shall not eat.” became the rule of the colony


• In spite of Smith’s efforts, Jamestown endured the “starving time” during the winter of 1609-1610

• Colonist still died in huge numbers• Forced to eat “dogges, Catts, Ratss, and Myce”• Some even resorted to cannibalism: digging up corpses for food

• One man killed an ate his wife (and then was executed)

• Of the 400 colonists who had arrived by 1609, only 60 survived by 1610

• In December 1607 Smith was captured and subject to a mock execution by the Indian chief, Powhatan

• Pocahontas “saved” Smith in ritual designed to show Smith the power of Powhatan and the desire of the Indians to live in peace

• Pocahontas became the intermediary between Indians and colonists, preserving peace and providing colonists with food


• In 1610, the colonists tried to sail back to England• They were met at the mouth of James River by relief party headed by

Lord De La Warr• De La Warr ordered colonists back to Jamestown, imposed harsh

military discipline, and took aggressive action against the American Indians

• Disease continue to kill many• 1625 1200 people lived in Virginia, out of the 8000 who had come

there

Cultural Clash in the Chesapeake• Powhatan Confederacy

• Powhatan dominated a few dozen small tribes in the area of the James river when the English arrived

• English called Native Indians in area Powhatans• Powhatan may have seen English as allies in struggle to control other American

Indians

• Relations between the American Indians and English grew worse• General mistrust because of different cultures and languages• English raided American Indian food supplies during starving times

• First Anglo-Powhatan War 1610-1614• De La Warr had orders to make war on American Indians• Veteran of wars against Irish, De La Warr brought “Irish tactics” to fight American

Indians• English raided villages, burned houses, took supplies, and burned cornfields

• Peace between Powhatan Indians and English 1614-1622• In 1614, peace was settled by the marriage of Pocahontas to Englishman John Rolfe

Cultural Clash in the Chesapeake

• 1622 – 1624 periodic attacks between the American Indians and settlers

• American Indians pushed back off land and killed by European diseases• 1622 American Indians attacked English, killing 347 including John Rolfe• Virginia Company called for “perpetual war” against American Indians• English raids reduced native population and droved them further westward

• 1644-1646 Second Anglo-Powhatan War• Last effort of natives to defeat English• American Indians are defeated

• Peace Treaty of 1646• Removed Powhatan Indians from their original land• Formally separated American Indian and English settlement areas

Cultural Clash in the Chesapeake

• By 1685 there were only 2000 American Indians in Virginia (about 10% of the 1607 population)

• By 1689 the English considered the Powhatan Indians extinct• Powhatan Indians fell victim to the 3 Ds:

• Disease• Natives very susceptible to European diseases• Epidemics of smallpox and measles killed huge numbers

• Disorganization• Natives not united enough to fight militarily disciplined whites

• Disposability• Natives served no economic function for whites

• Not a reliable source of labor• No valuable commodities to trade (after Virginians began growing their own crops• Natives stood in the way of what whites wanted most: land

• Foreshadowed what would happen to the rest of the natives as white settlers moved inland

The Indians’ New World • Benefits to natives from the European invasion

• Horses brought about large-scale Indian migration to Great Plains in 1700s

• Diseases decimated native population and were the biggest disruptor to native life

• Could extinguish entire cultures• Some peoples had to reinvent new cultures

• Elders who held oral traditions in memory were died• Remnant groups of native peoples joined together to form completely new tribe

• Trade• Replaced barter system between natives• European goods (especially firearms) intensified competition among natives for access

to best hunting grounds, leading to increased native-on –native violence

• Indians on the Atlantic Coast were most affected by Europeans• Inland Indians had advantages of time and space to adjust to changes• European traders who went inland had to conform to some native traditions

• Created a middle ground between natives and European cultures where both were forced to accommodate the other

• Middle ground ended when Europeans arrived in large numbers

Virginia: Child of Tobacco• Cultivation of Tobacco

• Grew as a weed in Virginia• 1612 John Rolfe perfected curing the weed to eliminate its bitter taste• Soon grown everywhere to fill unquenchable desire for it in Europe• Virginians pushed inward (against native population) for more land

• Tobacco’s effect on Virginia’s economy• Vital role in putting Virginia on firm economic footing• Ruinous to soil when continuously planted• Chained Virginia’s economy to a single crop

• Tobacco promoted use of plantation system (and need for cheap, abundant labor)

• In 1619 a Dutch ship sold 20 Africans to Jamestown• It is not clear whether they were indentured servants (for a fixed period of time) or

lifelong slaves; however, this voyage planted seeds of the slave system of enslaving Africans

Virginia: Child of Tobacco• During most of the 1600s, whites were too poor to buy many

slaves• But slave number in Virginia did increase• By 1700, 14% of the population was black; most of these were slaves

• Representative self-government in Virginia• In 1619, the Virginia Company authorized settlers to form an assembly

(House of Burgesses)• This was the first of many mini-Parliaments in America

• Virginia soon became a royal colony• James I grew hostile to Virginia; he hated tobacco and distrusted the

House of Burgesses (a “seminary of sedition”)• In 1624, the king revoked the charter of the bankrupt Virginia Company• Virginia was made a royal colony, under the king’s direct control

Maryland: Catholic Haven• 1634 – Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore

• Wanted profit and refuge for fellow Catholics (who were discriminated against by Protestant England)

• Baltimore’s plan was to govern as absentee proprietor in a feudal relationship• He granted huge tracts of land to his Catholic relatives and hoped that English settlers

would be willing to come work on this land as peasants did in England

• However, English colonists were only willing to come to Maryland if they received land

• Colonists who did come received modest farms dispersed around the Chesapeake backcountry

• Catholic land barons were soon surrounded by mostly Protestant small farmers• Conflict between the barons and farmers led to Baltimore losing his proprietary rights

at end of 1600s

Maryland: Catholic Haven• Maryland relied on tobacco and indentured servants (like

Virginia) to sustain economy • Only in the late 1600s did black slaves begin to be imported in large

numbers (again like Virginia)

• Freedom of religion in Maryland• Initially, Baltimore permitted a high degree of freedom of worship to

foster a spirit of toleration for his Catholics• Soon, the large number of Protestants coming to Maryland threatened

to overwhelm rights of Catholic minority

• In 1649, Catholics threw their support behind the Act of Toleration, which was passed by Maryland’s assembly

• The law guaranteed toleration to all Christians, but decreed death to those who denied divinity of Jesus (Jews, atheists)

• So in some ways, Maryland was less tolerant than before law was passed

The West Indies: Way Station to Mainland America

• In the early 1600s Spain lost control of West Indies• Weakened by military overextension and rebellion in Dutch provinces

• England moved in to take over• By the mid 1600s, England controlled several important islands (including Jamaica)

• Crucial difference between tobacco and sugar• Tobacco was poor man’s crop: planted easily, produced sellable leaves in 1 year, required

simple processing• Sugar was rich man’s crop: had to be planted extensively to yield commercially viable

quantities, large-scale planning meant large-scale land clearing, elaborate process of refining needed

• Only planters with abundant capital to invest could succeed in sugar growing

• Sugar was foundation of West Indian Economy• Sugar planters had to import huge number of African slaves

• From 1640 – 1690, 250,000 were imported • By 1700, blacks outnumbered whites 4 to 1• West Indies are predominately black to this day

The West Indies: Way Station to Mainland America

• “Codes” written to control slaves• Defined slaves’ legal status and masters’ rights• Example – Barbados Slave Code of 1661

• Took fundamental rights from slaves• Gave masters almost complete control over their laborers, including right to inflict vicious

punishments

• Sugar growing crowded out almost all other forms of Caribbean agriculture• West Indies came to depend on North American for basic food and supplies

• In 1670, a group of small English farmers from West Indies arrived in Carolina

• Had been squeezed out of West Indies by sugar barons• Brought a few black slaves and the model of the Barbados slave code• They laid the foundation for statutes governing slavery and the slave system in

mainland colonies

Colonizing the Carolinas• From 1642-1651, the English Civil War took place between Parliament (led

by Oliver Cromwell) and King Charles I• In 1649, Charles I was beheaded• Cromwell ruled England as a Puritan dictator until 1658 (when he died)

• In 1660 the period known as the Restoration began• Charles II (son of Charles I) was restored to the throne

• Colonialism of American had been interrupted during the chaos of the Civil War

• After the Civil War, colonialism began with greater intensity and greater royal involvement during the Restoration period

• In 1670, Carolina was founded, named for Charles II (Carolus in Latin)• The King granted Carolina to 8 supporters (Lord Proprietors)• These 8 hoped to use Carolina to supply their plantation in Barbados with food and

export wine, silk, and olive oil to Europe

Colonizing the Carolinas• Carolina prospered by developing close economic ties to the

West Indies• Shipped food to sugar plantations on West Indies• Many Carolinian settlers were originally from West Indies and brought

slaves and the slave system with them• Used local Savannah Indians to enslave other American Indians

(about 10,000) and send them to the West Indies (and some to New England)

• 1707 Savannah Indians decided to migrate to Pennsylvania • This new colony founded by William Penn promised better relations

between whites and American Indians• Carolinians decided to “thin” the Savannahs before they could leave• By 1710 bloody raids killed almost all American Indians in Coastal

Carolina

Colonizing the Carolinas• Rice became primary export of Carolina

• Rice was an exotic food in England• Rice was grown in Africa, so planters imported West African Slaves• These slaves were ideal because they were experienced in rice cultivation

and had genetic trait that made them relatively immune to malaria• By 1710 black slaves were a majority in Carolina

• Charles Town also named for King Charles II, became the busiest port in the South

• Religious toleration attracted diverse inhabitants to the city

• Catholic Spanish hated mass of Protestants on their borders, leading to conflict between Carolina and Florida

• During the Anglo-Spanish wars the Spanish conducted border raids on Carolina by either inciting the Indians to attack or attacking themselves

• By 1700 Carolina was too strong to be wiped out by Spanish

The Emergence of North Carolina

• Northern part of Carolina shared border with Virginia• Virginia was dominated by aristocratic planters who were generally

members of Church of England• Dissenters from Virginia moved south to Northern Carolina

• Poor farmers with little need for slaves• Religious dissenters

• Distinctive traits of North Carolinians• Poor but sturdy inhabitants• Irreligious and hospitable to pirates• Strong spirit of resistance to authority

• 1712 after fighting among North and South Carolinians, North Carolina was officially separated from South Carolina

• Both became royal colonies

The Emergence of North Carolina

• North Carolina shares some distinctions in common with Rhode Island• Both were the most democratic (and least aristocratic) and most independent

of the English colonies• Both regions fought bloody battles with local American Indians

• Carolina’s relations with American Indians• 1711 Tuscarora Indians attacked North Carolina at Newbern• North Carolinians (with South Carolinians) defeated and destroyed Tuscaroras• 1715 South Carolinians defeated Yamasee Indians• By 1720 all of coastal Indians wiped out in south• Powerful Indian tribes (Cherokee, Creeks, Iroquois) inland resisted British

expansion for 50 more years.

Late-Coming Georgia: the Buffer Colony

• Georgia• Founded in 1733• Last of the 13 colonies

• 126 years after 1st (Virginia); 52 year after the 12th (Pennsylvania)

• Named in honor of King George II• Founded by James Oglethorpe

• Purposes of Georgia• Chiefly was to serve as a buffer between the valuable Carolinas , Spanish Florida

and French Louisiana• Received subsidies from British government to offset costs of defense• Exported silk and wine• Served as a haven for debtors thrown into prison• Determined to keep slavery out

Late-Coming Georgia: the Buffer Colony

• The port city of Georgia was Savannah• Savannah was a diverse community where all Christians except

Catholics enjoyed religious toleration• Missionaries worked among debtors and American Indians in Savannah• John Wesley was the most famous of these missionaries; he later

founded Methodist Church (in England)

• Georgia grew slowly and was the least populous of all the colonies

• The plantation economy in Georgia was stopped by• An unhealthy climate• Early restrictions on black slavery• Frequent Spanish attacks

The Plantation Colonies• England’s southern mainland colonies shared some characteristics

• Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

• Devoted to export of commercial agricultural crops• Profitable staple (principal) crops like rice and tobacco

• Slavery found in all colonies, including Georgia after 1750• Strong aristocratic tradition because of huge tracts of land in hands

of few• Except North Carolina and Georgia

• Wide scattering of settlement slowed growth of cities; made schools and churches difficult and expensive

• Some religious toleration existed • Church of England was dominant faith

• Expansionary• Excessive tobacco growing drove settlers westward

Settling the Northern Colonies

1619-1700

Regional Differences• North, Middle, and South had commonalities

• Language, allegiance to England

• Colonies also developed differently; differences lasted well after colonial era

• Southerners came for riches (especially from tobacco)• Northerners came for religious devotion

Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism• 1517 – Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses on door of Wittenberg, Germany

cathedral• Denounced the authority of (Catholic) priests and popes• Claimed that the Bible alone was the source of God’s word• Luther began a period of religious reform in Europe called the Reformation

• John Calvin• Religious leader in Geneva, Switzerland• Calvinism was an elaboration of Luther’s ideas• Profoundly affected religious emigrants to America including the Puritans, Scottish

Presbyterians, French Huguenots

• Calvinism• Calvin wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536, exalining his ideas• God was all-powerful and all-good• Humans (because of Original Sin) were wicked and weak• Predestination

• God knew (because he is all-knowing) who was going to heaven and who was going to hell• Some souls (the elect) were destine d for heaven; others were destined for hell

The Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism

• Predestination and works• Good works could not save those predestined for hell• Elect could not count on their status to live lives of sin

• No could be certain of his/her status• Gnawing doubts led them to constantly seek signs of “conversion”• Conversion was an intense, personal experience in which God revealed to

that person his/her elect status• After conversion, elect were to live “sanctified” lives, demonstrating that

they were “visible saints”

• 1530 - Calvinism swept England as Henry VIII broke ties with Roman Catholic Church and appointed himself the head of the Church of England (Anglican)

• Henry still kept most of the Roman Catholic practices


• “Puritans”• Want to totally reform (purify) Church of England from Catholicism• Many came from economically depressed areas

• Calvinism fed on social unrest and comforted the poor

• Puritans grew increasingly unhappy with slow process of Protestant Reformation in England

• Separatists• Puritans who believed only “visible saints” (those who could demonstrate

in front of their fellow Puritans their elect status) should be admitted to church membership

• Because the Church of England enrolled all the king’s subjects, Separatists felt they had to share churches with the “damned”

• Therefore, Separatists believed in a total break from Church of England


• After Henry VIII, the king was the head of the country and the spiritual leader of church

• James I saw that if his subjects could defy him in spiritual affairs (the Separatists breaking from the Church of England) then they would eventually defy him in political affairs

• Therefore, the king decided to harass the Separatists until they left England

• In 1608, the most famous congregation of Separatists left for Holland; they spent 12 years in Holland in difficult circumstances

• Separatists worried about “Dutchification” of their children; they wanted a place where they could live as Englishmen

The Pilgrims End Their Pilgrimage at Plymouth

• In 1620, a group of 102 people (about ½ of who were Separatists) set sail on the Mayflower for America

• They negotiated with the Virginia Company to settle in its jurisdiction

• Non-Separatists included Captain Myles Standish, who would later help the colony in fighting the natives

• Mayflower sailed for 65 days and landed off course in New England

• The colonist searched around New England for suitable place to land, finally landing at Plymouth Bay

• Because Plymouth was well outside the domain of the Virginia Company, there people became squatters without legal rights to the land and no specific authority to establish a government.


• The Mayflower Compact was written and signed before the Pilgrims disembarked from the Mayflower

• Not a constitution, but an agreement to form a crude government and submit to majority rule

• Signed by 41 adult males (not signed by women, slaves, and 2 seamen)• Led to adult male settlers meeting in assemblies to make laws in town

meetings

• During the winter of 1620 – 1621, only 22 (of 102) survived at Plymouth Colony

• At one time only 7 well enough to bury the dead• Still, none chose to leave in 1621 when the Mayflower sailed back to

Europe• In the fall of 1621, the first “Thanksgiving Day” was commemorated,

celebrating their successful harvest• The colony survived because of fur (especially beaver), fish and lumber


• One of the most important Pilgrim leaders was William Bradford

• A self-taught scholar who was chosen governor 30 times in early elections

• Bradford worried about settlements of non-Puritans springing up nearby and corrupting Puritan society.

• Plymouth stayed small and economically unimportant

• By 1691, only 7000 people lived in the colony when it merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Bay Colony Bible Commonwealth

• Non-Separatist Puritans• Less radical than Separatists; sought to reform Church of England from within• Gathered support, especially in Parliament• In 1629, Charles I disbanded Parliament and supported Archbishop William Laud, an

archconservative who attacked the Puritans

• Also in 1629, non-Separatist Puritans got royal charter to form Massachusetts Bay Colony

• They wanted to escape attacks by Laud and other conservatives in Church of England

• They denied they wanted to leave Church of England, just its impurities.

• In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay expedition set out in 11 well-supplied ships with almost 1000 people

• These people established a colony in the Massachusetts area; Boston became its hub

The Bay Colony Bible Commonwealth

• The “Great Migration” of 1630s• Turmoil and persecution in England sent more Puritans (about

70,000) to America• Not all were Puritans• Only about 20,000 came to Massachusetts; 50,000 went to the

West Indies• Many prosperous, educated persons migrated to Massachusetts

Bay• John Winthrop

• Well-off attorney and manor lord in England• Became first governor in Massachusetts• Belied he had a “calling” from God to lead there• Served as governor or deputy-governor for 19 years

Building the Bay Colony• Massachusetts’ Economy

• Based on fur trading, fishing, shipbuilding• Quickly became New England’s biggest and most important colony

• Massachusetts’ Religious Mission • “We shall be as a city upon a hill” – Winthrop• Colonists shared a sense of purpose that they had a covenant with God to build a

holy society to serve as an example to the rest of the world.

• Democratic Beginnings in Massachusetts• Franchise (voting) in colony-wide elections given to all “freemen” – adult males who

belong to Puritan congregations (by going through conversion)• Unconverted Puritans, non-Puritans, and women were not allowed to vote• 2/5 of adult men allowed to vote, a far larger percentage than in England at the time• Town government conducted in town meetings by majority vote

• More inclusive than colony’s elections – all male property holders allowed to participate and vote

Building the Bay Colony• Massachusetts (though liberal for the times) was not a democracy

• John Winthrop distrusted “commons” and believed democracy was the “meanest and worst” form of government

• Freemen elected governor, his assistants, and representatives in General Court (colonial assembly)

• Only “Visible Saints” in Puritan Church were allowed to be freemen

• Doctrine of the Covenant• Government’s purpose was to enforce God’s law (which applied to believers and non-

believers)

• Non-believers and believers both paid taxes for the government-supported church

• Religious leaders held enormous influence in Massachusetts• Influenced admission to church membership (and therefore voting rights) by

conducting public interrogations of people who claimed to have experienced conversion

Building the Bay Colony• John Cotton, a prominent man among the early clergy

• Educated at heavily Puritan Cambridge University in England• Emigrated to Massachusetts to escape punishment for criticizing the

Church of England• Devoted himself to defending right of government to enforce religious rules

• Congregational Church• Collective of all the individual Puritan congregations meeting in

Massachusetts

• Power of clergy was not absolute• Congregation could hire and fire minster and set his salary• Clergyman were barred from holding political office, an early example of

the separation of church and state• Puritans in England had suffered from “political” Anglican minsters in England

Building the Bay Colony• Puritan Worldliness

• Believed in “calling” to do God’s work on Earth• Shared “Protestant ethic” of hard work and engagement in worldly

pursuits• Saw worldly blessings (riches) as a sign of God’s grace on the elect• Enjoyed simple pleasures such as eating, drinking, and monogamous sex• “sumptuary laws” (also called “blue laws” for the color paper they were

printed on) were passed to control worldly pleasures

• Puritan Concept of Hell• They believed in a real hell where sinners withered in pain for eternity• This belief kept most Puritans strictly obedient to (what they saw as) the

word of God

Trouble in the Bible Commonwealth

• The Puritan believers were tightly knit community in Massachusetts

• Most followed the Puritan orthodoxy (conforming to what is generally seen as right and true), although there were some dissenters

• Quakers• Ignored authority of Puritan clergy• Fined, flogged, banished as punishment• 4 Quakers hanged in Boston for refusing to obey an order to

leave


• Anne Hutchinson• Intelligent, strong-willed, well-spoken woman• Preached the doctrine of antinomianism

• Carried to logical extremes Puritan doctrine of predestination• Holy life was no sure of salvation• Truly saved didn’t need to obey the law of either God or man• Antinomianism comes from Greek – “against the law”

• In 1638, Anne Hutchinson was put on trial by the Puritans• She confounded the Puritan leaders for days• She eventually bragged that she received her beliefs directly from God• The claim of direct revelation was even more serious than the heresy of antinomianism• Because of this, the Puritan leaders banished her

• Anne Hutchinson and family traveled to Rhode Island and later New York• Hutchinson and all but 1 in her family were killed by American Indians in New York• Puritan leader John Winthrop saw God’s hand in this


• Roger Williams• Young and popular minister in Salem• Williams was an extreme Separatist; he argued with his fellow clergy

about breaking with the Anglican Church• Condemned Massachusetts Bay’s charter because it did not give fair

compensation to the American Indians• Denied authority of civil government to regulate religious behavior

• In 1635, Williams found guilty of preaching “newe & dangerous opinions” and was exiled

• Puritans in Massachusetts Bay wanted to exile him to England to prevent him from founding a competing colony

The Rhode Island “Sewer”• Before he could be sent back to England, Williams fled to Rhode Island

in 1636• Williams established religious toleration in Providence, Rhode Island

• More liberal than any other American colony, more liberal than most Old World cities

• Complete freedom of religion, even for Jews and Catholics• No oaths regarding religious beliefs• No compulsory church attendance• No taxes to support a state church

• Williams also set up remarkable political freedom in Providence, Rhode Island

• Universal manhood suffrage, although later restricted by a property qualification• Opposed to special privilege of any kin• Tried to grant freedom of opportunity to all

The Rhode Island “Sewer”• Other dissenters gathered in settlements around Rhode Island

• Many had little in common with Roger Williams, apart from not being welcome anywhere else

• Puritan clergy in Boston believed “that sewer” was a rotten collection of the “Lord’s debris”

• Made Rhode Islanders much more individualistic and independent than other colonists

• 1636 – Rhode Island began as squatter colony without legal standing

• 1644 – Parliament granted charter to Rhode Island

New England Spreads Out• Fertile Connecticut River Valley attracted a few English and Dutch settlers

• In 1635 Hartford was founded• In 1636 the Boston Puritans led by Reverend Thomas Hooker settled in Hartford• In 1639 the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were passed

• The orders were a modern constitution, establishing a democratic government by the “substantial” citizens

• Later used as basis for colonial and state constitutions of Connecticut

• New Haven, Connecticut• Settled (without charter from king) by Puritans who wanted an even closer

relationship between church and state than at Massachusetts• Fell into disfavor with Charles II because they harbored 2 judges who had

condemned his father (Charles I) to death• In 1662, Charles II granted a charter to Connecticut

• Merged New Haven with more democratic settlements of Connecticut River Valley (including Hartford)• Puritans in New Haven did not support this, but had little choice

New England Spreads Out

• Maine• About 1607, fishermen and

fur traders operated on the coast

• In 1623, Sir Ferdinando Gorges unsuccessfully attempted colonization

• Maine was purchased by Massachusetts Bay from Gorges’ heir in 1677

• Remained part of Massachusetts until becoming a state in 1820

New England Spreads Out

• New Hampshire• Early fishing and trading

activities were carried out along the coast

• In 1641 the area was absorbed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony

• In 1679 the king separated Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire into 2 colonies; New Hampshire was made a royal colony

Puritans versus American Indians

• As English settlements spread, conflicts with American Indians became unavoidable

• American Indians were especially weak in New England• In the mid 1610s, an epidemic (probably caused by contact with English

fishermen) had wiped out ¾ of these American Indians• Settlers in Plymouth found open fields (ready to be farmed) and bones of dead

American Indians were they arrived

• The Wampanoag Indians (near Plymouth colony) at first befriended settlers, partly because they were too weak to resist the whites

• Cooperation between the whites and American Indians was aided by Squanto, an American Indian who had been kidnapped by whites and learned English from an English ship captain

• In 1621, chief Massasoit signed treaty with whites at Plymouth • Also in 1621, American Indians and whites celebrated first Thanksgiving that

autumn


• The Pequot (PEE-cwah) Indians were a powerful tribe in the area of Connecticut River Valley

• 1637 – the Pequot War• Hostility broke out between Pequot and whites • Whites (with Narragansett Indian allies) attacked Pequot village on

Mystic River, setting fire to homes and shooting fleeing survivors• Pequot tribe was virtually annihilated; uneasy peace lasted 40 years


• Puritans missionary activities were half-hearted, especially compared to the Spanish and French Catholics

• A few American Indians converted to Puritanism and English culture

• Puritans were criticized by critics in England for not doing more

• Only hope for American Indians to resist whites was to unite


• 1675-1676 – King Philip’s War• Metacom (known as King Philip to whites) was Massasoit’s

son• He united American Indians and staged coordinated attacks

on white settlements throughout New England forcing frontier settlers to retreat to Boston for safety.

• King Philip’s War ended in Failure for the natives• Hundreds of colonists and many more American Indians

were killed• Metacom was beheaded and drawn and quartered; his son

and wife were sold into slavery• Natives were weakened and demoralized after defeat; they

never posed a serous threat to New England colonists again.

Seeds of Colonial Unity and Independence

• In 1643, 4 colonies banded together to form the New England Confederation

• At the time, England was involved in the Civil War; was less involved to help and govern colonies

• Powers of confederation were primarily to provide for defense against the natives, French, Dutch, and colonial – only problems (like runaway servants or escaped criminals)

• Each colony had 2 votes (regardless of size), opposed to most-populous colony, Massachusetts

• Confederation was basically an exclusive Puritan Club• Members were Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, New Haven, Connecticut

River Valley• Did not allow heretical or non-Puritan colonies to join like Rhode Island and Maine


• Importance of the confederation• Weak, but moved colonies closer to unity• Delegates learned to work together on matters of inter-colonial importance• Commoners learned to delegate votes to representatives

• Early 1600s – 1660 King James I and Charles I ruled; English Civil War took place

• England neglected the colonies, allowing them to become semi-independent

• 1660s – Charles I restored to throne• Royalist and Church of England were firmly in control, ending Puritan hopes

of reforming the Church of England• Charles II also took much more active management of colonies


• Defiance against king’s orders in Massachusetts• Puritans there used to independence and frequently ignored

King’s orders

• The king decided to punish Massachusetts• In 1662, he granted a charter to Connecticut legalizing

squatter settlements there• In 1663, Rhode Island received its charter

• With this, the king sanctioned the most religiously tolerant government in America

• In 1684 the king revoked charter of Massachusetts Bay

Andros Promotes the Frist American Revolution

• In 1686, the Dominion of New England was created by the king

• Imposed by London, not created by colonists themselves (like New England Confederation)

• All of New England (ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, and New Haven) included• Later also included New York and East and West Jersey

• Purpose of the Dominion of New England• Weaken colonies (especially Massachusetts Bay) by giving more

control to royal authorities • Provide for united defense against natives• Promote efficiency in administration of English Navigation Law

Andros Promotes the First American Revolution

• Navigation Laws• Sought to force tighter relations between colonies and England• Restricted trade between America and foreign (non-English)

colonies• Colonists did not support restrictions; smuggling became

common

• Sir Edmund Andros was appointed to be the governor of the Dominion of New England

• Andros was autocratic English military man• Andros headquartered in Puritanical Boston and quickly

generated hostility among Bostonians• Open affiliation with Church of England• Soldiers who taught people to “to drink, blaspheme, curse, and damn”


• Andros’ restrictions on colonists made them want to rebel• Curbed town meetings• Put heavy restrictions on courts, press, schools• Revoked all land titles• Taxed people without consent of their elected representatives• Worked to enforce Navigation Acts and stop smuggling

• 1688-1689 Glorious Revolution (Bloodless Revolution) in England• Deposed autocratic, unpopular, Catholic James II• Enthroned Protestant rulers of Netherlands, the Dutch William III and his English wife,

Mary, daughter of James

• When news of the Glorious Revolution reached the colonies• A Boston mob rose to overthrow Andros• Andros was caught trying to escape, in women’s clothing, and forced to return to

England


• Massachusetts did not go back to its condition before the Dominion of New England

• In 1691 it was made a royal colony with a new charter and a new royal governor

• The permanent loss of their original charter was staggering blow to the Puritans

• The privilege of voting (once only for church members) now extended to all male property holders

• Effects of Glorious Revolution in America• 1689-1691 – rebellions rocked New York and Maryland when some

Americans took the opportunity to rebel against royal authority until they were put down by new royal governors

• Period of “salutary neglect” began when the new monarchs relaxed royal control on colonial trade and the Navigation Laws were only weakly enforced


• Remnants of Charles II attempts to tighten administration over colonies remained

• English officials (judges, clerks, customs officials) staffed in America• Many were incompetent and corrupt who didn’t care about American

affairs• These leaders blocked the rise of local leaders to positions of political

power• Americans viewed them with growing contempt and resentment

Old Netherlands at New Netherland

• Late 1500s – Netherlands overthrew Spain (with aid of England) to gain independence

• The 1600s were a gold age of Dutch history• Was a major commercial and naval power, challenging England on sea• There were 3 major Anglo-Dutch naval wars throughout the 1600s

because of this rivalry• Also became a major colonial power (mainly in the East Indies) run by

the powerful Dutch East India Company

• Exploration of Henry Hudson • Sailed to Delaware Bay, New York Bay, and then down the Hudson River

• Looking for the “Northwest Passage” across Americas to Asia by sea• Was not successful looking for the Northwest passage, but claimed the areas he

explored for the Netherlands


• Dutch West India Company (DWIC)• Much less powerful than Dutch East India Company• Maintained profitable businesses in the Caribbean• As interested in raiding (stealing from other countries) as trading• Also had outposts in Africa and Brazil

• New Netherland• Was founded in 1623-1624 in the Hudson River area• Established by the DWIC for quick-profit fur trade; the company

did not pay attention to the colony• Manhattan was purchased by the company for pennies per

(22,000) acre from the American Indians, who did not technically own it.


• New Amsterdam (New York City)• DWIC town run in interests of its stockholders• No interest in religious toleration, free speech, or democracy• Governors appointed by company were autocratic• Religious dissenters against the Dutch Reformed Church (including

Quakers) were persecuted• A local assembly with limited power to make laws was established after

repeated protests by colonists.

• Characteristics of New Amsterdam• Aristocratic

• Patroonships – vast feudal estates along Hudson River granted to promoters who would settle 50 people on them

• Cosmopolitan• Diverse population with many different languages

Friction with English and Swedish Neighbors

• Problems in New Netherland• Incompetent directors-general• Shareholders wanted to dividends, even if it hurt the colony• Natives attacked (after provocations by Dutch)

• To defend against the natives, the Dutch built a stone wall; Wall Street takes its name from this wall

• New England hostile to New Netherland• New England Confederation members wanted to attack New Netherland

but were blocked by Massachusetts, who would have had to provide most of the troops

• Swedes in New Netherland• In the mid 1600s Sweden settled a small, under-funded colony (called

New Sweden) near New Netherland• In 1655, the Dutch under director-general Peter Stuyvesant attack New

Sweden• New Sweden’s main for fell after a bloodless siege; New Sweden was

absorbed into New Netherland

Dutch Residues in New York• New Netherland occupied an uncertain status in the mid 1600s

• Relatively unimportant to the Dutch• Was near strong English colonies to the North• About ½ of New Netherland’s 5,000 inhabitants were English

• In the mid 1600s, Charles II granted New Netherland’s land to his brother, the Duke of York (before he controlled the area)

• In 1664, English soldiers moved to attack New Netherland• The colony had little ammunition and poor defenses;

Stuyvesant was forced to surrender without firing a shot

Dutch Residues in New York• New Amsterdam was renamed New York by the English (for the Duke of

York)• England gained a harbor strategically located between the northern and southern

colonies• England now controlled the entire Atlantic coast (Maine to Carolinas)

• Autocratic and Aristocratic spirit remained in New York • Corrupt English governors granted huge tracks of land to their supporters• Influential families held disproportionate power• Discouraged many immigrants from coming to New York; the population and

physical growth of New York slowed

• Long lasting influence of Dutch• Names (Harlem, Brooklyn, Hell Gate)• Architecture (gambrel roof)• Easter eggs, Santa Claus, waffles, sauerkraut, bowling, sleighing, skating, kolf

(golf)

Penn’s Holy Experiment in Pennsylvania

• In the mid 1600s, the Religious Society of Friends arose in England• Called Quakers because they “quaked” when under intense religious

emotion

• Quakers offended religious and secular officials• Refused to pay taxes to support Church of England• Built simple meeting houses and met without paid clergy• “spoke up” themselves in meetings• Believed all people were children of God and refused to treat upper class

with deference (special respect)• Would take no oaths because Jesus said “Swear not at all”

• Government officials still administered “test oaths” to establish fact that a person was not Catholic

• Pacifists – refused to serve in military or retaliate against enemies


• William Penn, a noble Englishman who was attracted to the Quaker faith; father beat him to discourage this

• Penn embraced Quakerism after service in army• He suffered much persecution as a result (along with thousands of other

Quakers in England)

• In 1681 Penn received a grant from king to Establish colony because he:

• Wanted to help fellow Quakers escape persecution• Believed in liberal idea of government• Wanted to make a profit

• Penn received the huge grant of fertile land to settle a debt the king owed Penn’s father

• The king named area Pennsylvania (Penn’s woodland)


• To advertise Pennsylvania, Penn sent out paid agents and pamphlets

• Penn’s advertising was generally truthful, unlike other colonial advertisers

• Especially welcomed manual workers to build up colony• Liberal land policy attracted many immigrants

• In 1681 Penn formally founded his colony• A few thousand squatter already there were incorporated into the

colony• Philadelphia (“brother love” in Greek) was established as the

capitol• Philadelphia was a very well-planned city, with wide and attract streets

on a grid

Quaker Pennsylvania and its Neighbors

• Relations with Natives in Pennsylvania• Penn bought (didn’t simply take) land from the American Indians• Quakers were able to travel among the American Indians unharmed• However, non-Quaker Europeans flooded Pennsylvania, treating the

natives poorly and undermining the peaceful actions of the Quakers

• Pennsylvania’s government• Representative assembly elected by landowners• No tax-supported church• Freedom of worship guaranteed to all• Forced to deny right to vote and hold office to Catholics and Jews by

English Government • Death penalty only for treason and murder, compared to 200 capital

crimes in England


• Pennsylvania’s Society• No provision for military defense• No restriction on immigration; naturalization made easy• No slavery• “Blue Laws” (sumptuary laws) against stage plays, cards, dice, excessive hilarity• Modern society that gave citizens economic opportunity, civil liberty , and

religious freedom

• Pennsylvania attracted many different people• Religious misfits from other colonies• Many different ethnic groups

• Pennsylvania grew rapidly• Exporting grain and other agriculture• By 1700 it was surpassed in population and wealth by only Virginia and

Massachusetts (both of which had been in existence much longer)


• The End of Penn• Only spent 4 years (total) in Pennsylvania• Unappreciated by citizens of the colony• Penn’s governors constantly fought with Pennsylvania’s citizens, who

wanted greater political control of the colony• Penn died full of sorrows

• Thrown into debtors prison for a time; accused of treason 3 times (for befriending deposed King James II), afflicted by paralytic stroke

• Penn’s enduring legacy was the establishment of a commonwealth based on civil and religious liberty and dedicated to freedom of conscience and worship


• New Jersey• In 1664, 2 noble proprietors received this area from the Duke of York• Many New Englanders (because of worn out soil) travelled to New Jersey• In 1674 West New Jersey was sold to a group of Quakers• East New Jersey also was acquired by Quakers• In 1702 East and West Jersey were combined into New Jersey and made

1 royal colony, taking the governing power away from the Quakers

• Delaware• Named after Lord De La Warr, the harsh military governor of Virginia in

the early 1600s• Was closely associated with Penn’s colony• In 1703 the colony was granted its own assembly• Remained under control of Pennsylvania until the American Revolution

The Middle Way in the Middle Colonies

• Middle Colonies • New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania

• These colonies had many things in common• Fertile soil, not rocky like New England

• Known as the “bread colonies” because of their exports of grain

• Broad rivers allowed furs to be shipped from interior and adventurers to head inland• Susquehanna, Delaware, Hudson

• Forests used for lumber and shipbuilding• Important harbors (New York, Philadelphia)

• Middle Way (between South and North• Middle-sized landholdings – between small farms in New England and large

plantations in the South• Local government – between local town meetings of New England and elite county

government of South• Industry between large industry of North and small industry in South

The Middle Way in the Middle Colonies

• Differences from North and South

• More ethnically diverse• More religious toleration• More democratic politically• Important compassionate

contribution to freedom on part of Quakers

• More desirable land• More economic and social

democracy (except New York)

American Life in the 17th Century

1607-1692

The Unhealthy Chesapeake• Diseases ravaged the people in

the Chesapeake• Malaria

• Fever, shivering, pain in the joints and headache spread by being bitten by an infected mosquito

• Dysentery• Inflammation of intestines leading to

bloody diarrhea and dehydration caused by drinking infected water or contact with people already infected

• Typhoid• Infectious bacteria that causes fever

and diarrhea caused by contact with infected food, water, or other people already infected

The Unhealthy Chesapeake• Low life expectancy

• ½ the people born in Chesapeake did not survive to their 20th birthday• Few lived to their full life expectancy of 40 for women and 50 for men

• The Chesapeake grew slowly in the 1600s because of this; it grew mostly from new immigrants from Europe, not natural birth

• Most immigrants were single men in late teens and early 20s• Most new immigrants died soon after arrival• Survivors in the Chesapeake competed for scarce women; women were outnumbered

6 to 1 (in 1650) and 3 to 2 (by 1700)

• Families were few and fragile• Most men could not find mates• Most marriages ended with death of a spouse in 7 years• Few children reached adulthood with both parents; almost none knew a grandparent• Weak family ties reflected in high number premarital pregnancies (1/3 of brides

already pregnant when married

The Unhealthy Chesapeake• Chesapeake settlers struggled on

• Native-born whites eventually developed immunities to diseases that had ravaged the original immigrants

• More women came, allowing for more families• By the end of the 1600s, the white population grew because of its

birthrate (and not immigration as before)

The Tobacco Economy• The Chesapeake was well-suited to tobacco growing; most people

quickly planted it• Tobacco planting quickly depleted the soil

• This forced settlers to move inland for more land, further encroaching on native land and provoking further attacks

• Overproduction of tobacco led to a price depression• 1.5 million pounds were exported in the 1630s; 40 million pounds exported

by 1700• Chesapeake farmers responded by growing even more tobacco

• The problem of labor• Family procreation was too slow to fill the need for labor• The natives died too quickly from contact with whites (because of diseases)• African slaves cost too much money

The Tobacco Economy• Indentured servants became the solution to the Chesapeake labor

problem• These were white English farmers who had been displaced by the enclosure

movement• They voluntarily mortgaged their work in the Chesapeake for several years to

get a transatlantic passage and “freedom dues” after their time was up (a few barrels of corn, clothing, and possibly a small piece of land)

• The headright system encouraged indentured servants to come• Whoever paid the passage of the laborer got 50 acres of land• Masters – not servants – received benefits (in land); some masters got huge

estates by importing many servants

• By 1700 – 100,000 indentured servants had come to Chesapeake, ¾ of all European immigrants

The Tobacco Economy• Indentured servants had difficult lives

• They were basically “white slaves” who had the hope of eventual freedom

• Received harsh punishment (including lengthened service) for misbehavior

• Land grants as part of freedom dues became less common as good land became more scarce

• Even after freedom was granted, poor workers had little choice but to rent themselves out to former masters for very low wages

Frustrated Freemen and Bacon’s Rebellion

• In the late 1600s large numbers of young poor discontented men lived in Chesapeake area

• These men had little access to land or women for marriage

• In 1670 the Virginia assembly disenfranchised most landless men because they caused “tumults” and “disturbance”

• In 1676 1,000 Virginians, led by 29-year old planter Nathaniel Bacon rebelled

• Most rebels were frontiersman forced in backcountry searching for farmable land

• The rebels resented Governor Berkeley’s relations with the natives• The governor monopolized the fur trade with the natives in the Chesapeake • He also refused to retaliate for native attacks on frontier settlements


• Bacon’s Rebellion• Rebels attack the natives, whether

they were friendly or not to whites, as revenge for their attacks

• Governor Berkeley driven from Jamestown and they then burned the city

• Rebels went on a rampage of plundering

• During the rebellion, Bacon suddenly died of disease

• After they lost their leader, Berkeley was able to brutally crush the rebellion and hanged 20 rebels


• Bacon’s Rebellion exposed resentment between inland frontiersman and landless former servants against gentry on coastal plantations

• The rebellion was suppressed, but resentment remained

• Upper class planters searched for laborers less likely to rebel

• This led to large-scale African slavery

Colonial Slavery• From 1500 to 1800, estimated 10 million Africans were carried as

slaves to the New world • Of these, only 400,000 came to North America; most of these came after 1700• Most slaves were transported to South America or the West Indies

• During the 1600s, only a few African slaves came to North America• In 1619 slaves were first introduced in Jamestown• By 1670 slaves only numbered 2,000 (out of a total population of

35,500)• Slaves were only 7% of the 50,000 total number of people in all the southern

plantation colonies together

• The reason few slaves were imported is because struggling white colonists could not afford the high prices for slaves who might die soon after arrival

• White indentured servants were far less costly than Africans

Colonial Slavery• During the 1680s, changes in

Europe and America led to African enslavement

• Rising wages in England meant less people were willing to sell themselves as indentured servants in America

• Large planters were fearful of large numbers of mutinous former servants (as demonstrated by Bacon’s Rebellion)

• Established planters with a generation (or more) in America now had income to spend on slaves

Colonial Slavery• The rise of slavery in America

• By the mid 1680s, black slaves outnumbered white servants• In 1698 the Royal African Company lost its charter (granted in 1672) for a monopoly

on slave transports to Americas• Americans (especially Rhode Islanders) moved in to transport slaves in America• By the mid 1700s, slaves came to outnumber whites in some southern colonies

• Most slaves came from the west of Africa (from Senegal to Angola)• They were captured by African coastal tribes, transported to the coast, and

sold to European and American buyers• On the coast they were branded, bound, and then put on ships• The ship voyage from Africa to America was known as the Middle Passage

• Africans packed onto ships, where up to 20% died

• Slaves were then sold in America on auction blocks in port cities

Colonial Slavery• As the number of slaves increased, white colonists acted to put down the perceived racial threat

• Slavery was transformed from an economic factor to a racial institution

• In the early 1600s, the difference between slaves and servants were still unclear

• Beginning in 1662, “slave codes” were adopted, decreeing strict conditions of slavery

• Made blacks (and their children) property “chattel” for the life of their white masters

• Some colonies made it crime to teach a slave to read or write• Even conversion to Christianity did not qualify a slave for freedom

Africans in America• Black slavery in the deep south was the harshest

• Worked on rice and indigo plantations

• Climate was extremely unhealthy

• Labor was difficult and lonely (because of the size of the plantation)

• Mostly male laborers (no family life for most)

• Slave population only increase with fresh imports, not natural procreation

Africans in America• Black slaves in Chesapeake had an

easier life than those in the Deep South

• There they primarily grew tobacco, which was less physically demanding crop to grow

• Plantations were closer together (allowing for more social contact among Africans)

• An increasing number of female slaves made families possible

• Increasing children made Chesapeake slaves one of the few slave societies in history to perpetuate itself through natural reproduction

Africans in America• A black culture, distinct from American and African culture developed,

including black religion, speech and customs• Gullah, a blend of English and several African languages, was a unique black language

developed on the islands off South Carolina• The impact of this on black culture was

• Words such as goober (peanut), gumbo (okra) voodoo (witchcraft) from Gullah• The ringshout contributed to jazz• The banjo and bongo drums

• Slave Revolts did occur, but overall there were few of them• Slaves were much more easy to manage than white indentured servants

• In 1712 a rebellion in New York occurred in which 12 whites were killed and 21 blacks were executed (some by burning at the stake with a slow fire)

• In 1739, the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina occurred• Blacks rebelled and tried to march to Spanish Florida, but were stopped by the white

militia

http://youtu.be/ijl7Sg3ZAd0

Southern Society• The spread of slavery led to a widening gap between the upper and

lower class whites• By the 1700s, a defined hierarchy of wealth and status developed

• At the highest level was an elite group of white planters• On their plantations, large groups of slaves worked huge tracts of land• These planters dominated the political and economic life of the South• During the 1600s, they were a generally hard-working and businesslike group,

not the leisure-loving gentlemen that were caricatured later

• The small farmers were the social groups• They were far below the planters in wealth and power• They owned some land and possibly even 1 or 2 slaves, but still lived a poor,

bare existence

Southern Society• Landless whites

• These were mostly unlucky former indentured servants• They worked for wages on other people’s farms or in trades

• Indentured Servants• Those still working under contract• By the end of the 1600s their numbers decreased as they were

replaced by black slaves

• Black Slaves• They were at the lowest level of society• They had no hope of eventual freedom or change in condition, unlike

indentured servants

New England Family• New England enjoyed a much healthier climate than the

South• Clean water and cool temperatures slowed the growth of disease• Settlers added 10 years to their lives after moving from England, for

an average lifespan of 70 years

• New Englanders generally migrated as families• Population grew from natural reproduction • Early marriage (by their early 20s); women bore children every 2

years until menopause• The typical woman would have 10 children (with 8 surviving past

infancy)• Many women did during childbirth and women came to fear

pregnancy

The New England Family• Lives of children in New England

• They lived in a stable, nurturing environment but were expected to learn obedience

• They received guidance not only from parents but also grandparents• Family stability was reflected in their low premarital pregnancy rate and

generally strong, peaceful social structure in colonial New England

• Southern women’s rights were more advanced because men frequently died young and there were fewer of them there

• Women in the South were allowed to keep separate rights to property (from their husbands) and to inherit their husband’s estate

• New England women gave up property rights upon marriage • Puritan lawmakers worried about dividing men and women in marriage

based on property• Widows did have secure rights to property (in contrast with England)

The New England Family• Early women’s rights in New England

• Women were seen as morally weaker than men (based on the story of Eve in the Bible)

• They believed that the wife should subject herself to her husband and did not allow women to vote

• However, a husband’s power over his wife was not absolute; for example, punishment was handed out to abusive spouses

• Midwives (who delivered babies) created a network of women who shared trials of pregnancy and motherhood separate form the control of men.

• Puritan laws kept up integrity of marriages• Divorce was very rare; separated couples were frequently ordered to reunite

by the authorities• Adultery and abandonment were some of the few reasons allowed for divorce• Adulterers were publicly whipped and forced to wear a capital letter “A” on

their clothing for the rest of their lives

Life in New England Towns• Tight-knit societies were based around small villages and farms

• New England settlements were blocked in by the Natives, French, Dutch• Puritans were encouraged to all watch out for the moral health of all others • The expansion of settlement was orderly in New England, as opposed to

the haphazard growth of the Chesapeake• New towns had to be legally chartered by colonial authorities• The distribution of land and town planning was done by the town fathers

(“proprietors”)• Meetinghouse (the church and town hall) surrounded by houses, with a village green

(where the militia could train)• Each family had several pieces of land, including a woodlot (for fuel), land for crops,

and a pasture

Life in the New England Towns

• Towns with over 50 families were required to provide an elementary education

• ½ the adults were literate in New England• In 1636, Harvard College was established to train local boys

for the ministry• The first college (William and Mary ) was not established in Virginia

until 1693

• All adult males met together, discussed issues, and voted at the town meeting in New England

• Thomas Jefferson called these meetings “the best school of political liberty the world ever saw”

The Half-Way Covenant and the Salem Witch Trials

•In the mid 1600s, religious zeal among the Puritans began to wane, because of the passage of time and the fact that Puritan settlements became more spread out

• To combat this, Puritan preachers began using the “jeremiad”, or strong calls to

repentance and stronger faithfulness

• Named for Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied God’s judgments on Israel unless they

repented

•Decline in public conversions (testimonials by people who had received God’s grace and deserved to become members of the church as God’s elect) were most alarming to church leaders

The Half-way Covenant and the Salem Witch Trials

•In 1662 the Half-Way Covenant was introduced• Modification of the “covenant” between the church and its believers• Church would admit to baptism, but not “full communion” unconverted children of

existing members• Weakened the distinction between the “elect” and others, diluting the purity of the

original settlement

•Eventually, the Puritan church was opened to all, converted or not• Fully erased the distinction between the elect and others• Religious purity was sacrificed for wider participation


• The Salem Witch Trials began in 1692 in Massachusetts• Some young girls claimed to be possessed by some older women who

they claimed were witches• In the ensuing “witch hunt”, 20 people were killed, 19 by hanging; 1

by pressing, 2 dogs were also hanged

• Witch hunts were then common in Europe• Several outbreaks had occurred before in the colonies, and

were often directed against property-owning women• The causes of the Salem trial were different

• Not only from the superstition of the time• Also reflected the widening social stratification of New England the

fear that Puritanism was being corrupted by commercialism


• By 1693, the witchcraft hysteria had ended in Salem • The Massachusetts governor acted (alarmed by accusation against

his wife” with responsible members of the clergy • He prohibited further trials and pardoned convicted witches

• 20 years later, the Massachusetts legislature annulled the convictions of accused witches and paid reparations to their heirs.

The New England Way of Life• The land left its mark on New Englanders• Difficult farming because of the rocky soil• Back-breaking work shaped strong character• Less ethnically diverse (immigrants were not attracted to farms

or harsh religious life)• Climate (hot in the summer, cold in the winter) led to diversified

agriculture and industry, instead of rely on a few staple crops (like cotton, tobacco)

• Mostly small farms because of intersection of rivers and mountains; no broad, fertile expanses of land like in South

• Also important because black slavery was not profitable on small farms

The New England Way of Life• Contrasting Native American and English views of land

• Native American affected land only slightly• Saw right to use the land, but the idea of individual ownership of the

land was alien to them

• The English radically affected the land• Condemned Native Americans for “wasting” (by not using) the land;

they used this as a reason for taking land from the Natives• Believed their duty was to “improve” the land by clearing forests,

farming, building roads and houses• The introduction of livestock (pigs, horses, sheep, cattle) forced them to

clear forests to create pastureland, increasing erosion and flooding• Used harbors for shipping and commerce, leading to shipbuilding and

the use of forests• Codfish caught off coast, generated much wealth

The Importance of New England

• New Englanders spread throughout the nation, influencing other Americans

• They built orderly communities around the country, based on those in New England

• “Yankee ingenuity” came to be a part of the entire nation known for its can-do attitude

• The “New England conscience” of high idealism inspired later reformers

The Early Settlers’ Days and Ways

• Most colonist were farmers who lived hard and humble, but comfortable lives

• The colonists lived in abundance compared to Europeans• Land was cheap• They also received higher wages

• Most colonists were middle class• Comfortable upper classes had no reason to leave Europe (“Dukes don’t emigrate”)• Poor people (except for indentured servants) didn’t have the money to emigrate

• Colonists tried to prevent class distinctions in America• Society was much more egalitarian that stratified Europe, especially the northern

and middle colonies• Some tired to recreate class distinctions, but generally were not successful

Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution

1700-1755

The Thirteen Colonies• 1775 – Britain controlled 32 colonies in the New World; from

Canada to the West Indies• 13 decided to fight for independence • The “why” can be found in the distinctive “American” social,

economic, and political structure of the 13 colonies

Conquest by the Cradle• There was a huge increase in population in America during the 1700s

• In 1700 there were 300,000 people in America; 20,000 blacks• By 1775 there were 2.5 million people in America; 500,000 were black;

400,000 were new immigrants; an additional 400,000 were black slaves• DOUBLING EVERY 25 YEARS!

• The rest was due to the natural fertility of Americans• Average age is 16 in 1775• 90% lived in rural areas

• The political importance of increasing population• In 1700 there were 20 English subjects for every American colonist• In 1775 there were 3 English subjects for every American colonist• Political power was shifting to the American colonies

Conquest by the Cradle• In 1775, most people lived east of the Alleghenies (Western part of the Appalachians from Pennsylvania to Virginia)

• Some pioneers were moving in the frontier of Tennessee and Kentucky

A Mingling of the Races• America was a melting pot: many foreign groups mixed with

predominately English people, creating a distinctively American group

• Germans• By 1775 were 6% of the population (150,000)• In the early 1700s, they settled chiefly in Pennsylvania

• Known as the Pennsylvania Dutch (“Deutsch” means German)• Moved to the backcountry and worked industriously

• Primarily Lutheran• Not loyal to the British Crown• Clung to German heritage and language

Mingling of the Races• Scots-Irish

• By 1775 were 7% of the population (175,000)

• Scottish who had been exiled to Ireland before emigration to America

• In the early 1700s, settled chiefly in Pennsylvania as squatters, but also rural Maryland, Virginia, and Carolinas

• Quick to attack and retaliate against Indians

• Had no loyalty to British government that had persecuted them in Europe

• But also rebelled against colonial governments dominated by eastern elites

A Mingling of Races• Other ethnic groups

• In 1775 they were 5% of the population, including: French Huguenots (Protestants) , Welsh, Dutch, Swedes, Jews, Irish, Swiss, Scots Highlanders

• Generally they had little loyalty to British

• African Slaves• By 1775 there were 25% of the population and heavily concentrated in the South

• The population of the 13 colonies was primarily Anglo-Saxon, but was the most ethically diverse population in the world at the time.

• The south population was black and white (with 90% of all slaves)• The north was primarily Puritan and the least ethnically diverse• The middle colonies were the most ethnically diverse (especially

Pennsylvania)

The Structure of Colonial Society

• America in the 1700s was a land of equality and opportunity (for whites) compared to Europe

• No titled nobility• No poor underclass• Most Americans were small farmers who owned their own land, although

there were small groups of skilled workers and tradespeople in the cities• Hardworking colonists could raise their social status, which was impossible in

England

• Wars began to lead to stratification of American society • Merchants (New England and middle colonies) were enriched by war

contracts (between England and France and with the Natives)• These merchants lived well (imported clothing, china, silverware); people

began to sit in churches and schools according to social rank• The richest 10% in Boston and Philadelphia owned 2/3 of the wealth

The Structure of Colonial Society

• Widows and orphans created because of the men killed in England’s wars

• These people became dependent on public charity for survival• The number of poor was still small compared to England (where 1/3

were poor)

• In New England, the descendants of the original settler face more limited prospects

• Supply of land dwindled (near coast and major cities and away from the Natives) as estates repeatedly subdivided

• Younger sons and daughters were forced to work as wage laborers or move west (beyond the Alleghenies) for unclaimed land

• Many landless poor looked to public charity for survival in major cities.

The Structure of Colonial Society• In the South, rich planters held power and riches because of their

disproportionate ownership of slaves• Wealth was concentrated among the largest slave owners• Slavery widened the gap between planters and poor whites

• Some indentured servants continued coming to America, many ultimately achieving prosperity

• The poor and convicts from Europe were involuntarily shipped to America

• About 50,000 were shipped to America from England• They generally remained in the lower classes• Black slaves had no equality with whites and no hope of improving their social

status• There were the closest approximation to England’s oppressed lower classes• There was a real fear in the south that they might rebel • Some in the South (like South Carolina in 1760) tried to ban importation of more slaves, but all

efforts were vetoed by Britain , who wanted a cheap labor supply for the colonies

Clerics, Physicians, and Jurists

• Clerics were the most respected profession in the colonies• By 1775 they had less power than in early colonial days (especially in New

England), but were still well-respected

• Physicians • Were poorly trained and not well-respected• They had little medical knowledge; blood letting was a common (and deadly)

practice• Apprentices worked with older trainers and then were turned loose• Epidemic (for which doctors could do little) killed many (such as smallpox and

diphtheria)

• Lawyers• Were not favorably regarded• Most parties in dispute presented their case themselves in court

Workday America• Agriculture

• 90% of the colonists were involved • In the Chesapeake, mainly tobacco

was grown, but wheat was also spread• In the middle colonies, primarily grain

(the “bread” colonies) was grown• Americans enjoyed a higher standard

of living because of agriculture than any other people in history.

• Fishing (including whaling)• Principally in New England• Cod exported to Europe• Stimulated shipbuilding• Served as training for future navy.

• Commerce (trade)• Especially in New England, New York, and

Pennsylvania• Shipped food and forest products to

Caribbean• Brought gold, wine, and oranges to Europe• Brought industrial goods from Europe to

America

• Triangular Trade• Very profitable, though small in relation to

total colonial commerce• Rum shipped from New England to Africa and

trade in Africa for slaves• Slaves shipped to West Indies and traded for

molasses• Molasses shipped to New England and

distilled into rum.

Workday America• Manufacturing

• Secondary because of ease of finding good land to farm and British restrictions

• Rum, beaver hats, iron forges, household manufacturing (spinning, weaving), carpentry

• Lumbering was the most important single manufacturing activity for shipbuilding (primarily in New England)

• Shipbuilding • Colonies had important (and relatively

rare) material such as tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine

• Huge trees in colonies used for British ships; colonists were restricted from cutting some down because of this

• As early as the 1730s, there was a growing trade imbalance between Britain and colonies

• Americans (with increasing population) demanded more and more British products

• British population was reaching a saturation point for imports from America

• How could colonists sell enough goods to make money to buy what they wanted in Britain?

• The Answer: by seeking foreign (non-British) markets.

Horsepower and Sailpower• Transportation was a huge problem in

America because of:• Sparse population • Huge expanse of land• Scarcity of money and workers

• Roads• Dirt roads; dusty in summer and mud

ditches in winter• Dangers of stagecoaches – fallen trees,

rickety bridges, overturning of carriage, runaway horses

• Waterways• Heavy reliance on waterways because of

bad roads• Population clustered around banks of

navigable rivers• Also much traffic along coasts

• Taverns along the main routes • Provided amusement (gambling,

bowling, poos, bars)• All social classes mingled

together• Gossip (and political talk) spread

through taverns• Important for crystallizing public

opinion• Center of agitation as revolutionary

movement because stronger

• The Colonial Postal System• Private couriers also worked• Service was slow and infrequent• Privacy was a problem; mail

carriers might pass the time by reading mail.

Dominant Denominations• Two “established” (tax-supported) churches in 1775 – Anglican

and Congregational • Considerable part of population did not worship at any church• In those colonies that had an established religion only a minority of

people belonged to that church

• Established churches in the colonies:• Congregational churches in Massachusetts (including Maine),

Connecticut, New Hampshire• Anglican in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Georgia, New York (only in NYC and 3 neighboring counties)• No established church in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, and

Pennsylvania

Dominant Denominations• Church of England (Anglican)

• Propped up king’s authority in colonies• Royal authorities tried to expand into other colonies, but were strongly

opposed• Faith that was less fierce (and more worldly) than Puritanism• In 1693 the college of William and Mary was founded to better train

Anglican clergy.

• Congregational Church • Grew out of individual Puritan churches• Established in all of New England except Rhode Island • Presbyterianism associated with Congregationalism, but was not

established in any colony

The Duel for North America

1608-1763

The Great Awakening

• By the mid 1700s, religion was less fervent than in the 1600s, when the colonies were first settled– The Puritan church had 2 burdens: Elaborate doctrinesCompromises to liberalize membership requirements

• Puritan elaborate doctrines– Puritan preachers preached overly complex, intellectual,

and boring sermons, beyond the understanding of the membership

The Great Awakening

• Puritan compromises to liberalize membership requirements– Ministers worried members were no longer motivated by hell

and damnation– Some members questioned established doctrines:

• Good works might save people instead of predestination to heaven or hell• Arminians (followers of Dutch Jacobus Arminius) believed individual free

will, not divide decree, determined a person’s eternal fate

– Some churches (in response to these liberal beliefs) allowed non-converted members into church membership

The Great Awakening

• In the 1730s and 1740s, the Great Awakening occurred– A series of spiritual revivals that swept through the colonies

• Began in 1734 in Northhampton, Massachusetts with Jonathan Edwards– Edwards preached “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”– Fought idea that good works were enough to be saved – God’s grace

was only way to get to heaven– Preaching style was learned and closely reasoned, but used brutal

doctrines to catch people’s attention

The Great Awakening

• In 1738 George Whitefield became prominent– Powerful preacher who used speaking skills to reach people– Traveled the colonies, preaching in outside forums to thousands of

people– Preached message of human helplessness and divine omnipotence– Countless sinners converted; the “saved” groaned, shrieked, and

rolled around on ground under influence of God’s power

• Whitefield also inspired many imitators

The Great Awakening

• “Old lights” vs. “new lights”– Old lights did not believe in the emotionalism and theatrical antics of

the revivalists– New lights defended Great Awakening for revitalizing American

religion– Congregationalists and Presbyterians split on this issue:

• Congregationalists were associated with old lights; Presbyterians were associated with new lights

The Great Awakening• Effects of the Great Awakening

– Increased membership of “new light” churches (Baptists, Presbyterians)

– Undermined of “old light” religions (whose authority had come from education)

– Increased number and competitiveness of American religions– Encouraged missionary work among Indians and black slaves– “new light” universities founded (Princeton, Brown, Rutgers,

Dartmouth)– First mass movement of American people

• Broke down sectional and denominational lines• Gave Americans sense that they were a single people

Schools and Colleges• Traditional English view of education

– Reserved for aristocratic few (leaders, and males), not for regular citizens

– This idea was only slowly broken by the colonists• Puritan New England pushed education more than other

colonies– Done primarily for religious reasons: to encourage learning needed for

reading and understanding the Bible• Education in New England

– Primarily for boys– Primary and secondary schools

• Varied in quality and length of time open• Farming took much time

– Many graduates from Cambridge (strongly Puritan university in England) and other English universities

Schools and Colleges• Elementary schools existed in middle colonies and

South– Some tax-supported, some private

• Schools in South hampered by population spread out over large areas– Wealthy families used private tutors for their children

– The general atmosphere in school– Focus on religion and classical languages (Latin and Greek)– Focus on doctrine and dogma (not experiment and reason)– Independent thinking discouraged– Discipline severe (for example, students were “birched” – spanked by

a branch from a birch tree when they misbehaved)

Schools and Colleges• College education

– At first (especially New England) geared toward preparing men for the ministry

– Rich families (especially in South) sent boys to England to get a “real” (refined, philosophical, worldly) education

• Nine colleges established during the colonial era– These schools had enrollments of only 200 (at the most)– Curriculum leaned toward the “dead” languages (Latin and Greek)– After 1750, the trend was toward more modern subjects– Ben Franklin played major role in founding (what became) the

University of Pennsylvania

A Provincial Culture

• In art and culture America still responded to Europe– American painters went to Europe to paint and complete training– Some seen as Loyalists (pro-British) during Revolution because of the

influence Britain had on them– Important colonial painters

• John Trumbull, Charles Willson Peale, Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley

• In architecture also, America copied Europe– Even the “American” log cabin copied from Sweden– In 1727 the red-bricked Georgian style building was

introduced in America


• Literature– Was generally undistinguished– Phyllis Wheatley

• Was a poet who as a slave girl was brought to Boston at age 8

– Benjamin Franklin• Edited Poor Richard’s Almanack (1732 – 1758)

– Collection of quotes and sayings; homespun wisdom like “Honesty is the best policy”– More widely read in America than anything else but Bible

• Also wrote his famous Autobiography


• Science– Was generally behind that of Europe– Ben Franklin was America’s only first-rank scientist

• Performed dangerous experiments like flying a kite to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity

• Invented bifocal spectacles, highly efficient Franklin stove, and lightning rod

Pioneer Presses• A few private libraries existed– Byrd family in Virginia had largest (4,000 books)

• Circulating libraries also existed– Ben Franklin established first in Philadelphia– By 1776, there were about 50 in America

• Americans generally to poor to buy many books and too busy to read many

• Pamphlets, leaflets, journals– Printed by hand-operated printing presses– By 1775, 40 colonial newspapers were in print

• Weeklies consisting of 1 large sheet, folded in 1/2• Long, complex essays signed with Roman-sounding names• “news” might lag weeks behind the event (especially overseas events)

– Newspapers were powerful way colonists could rally support around rebellion against British

Pioneer Presses• The Zenger case

– Arose in New York (middle colony, with many different ethnic groups competing for power)

– John Peter Zenger, a newspaper printer, was brought to court for criticizing a corrupt royal governor

– Zenger was charged with seditious libel (sedition means inciting to rebellion; libel means printing something that damages someone’s reputation)

– British law said that the truth or falsity of what Zenger wrote did not matter

– Zenger’s lawyer (Alexander Hamilton) eloquently argued that “the very liberty of both exposing and opposing arbitrary power” was at stake

Pioneer Presses

• The Zenger decision– Jury sided with Hamilton, returning verdict of not guilty– Pointed way to open discussion in open society that America was

becoming– Because it was contrary to existing law, it was not immediately

accepted by other judges– Eventually helped establish the legal doctrine that true statements

about public officials were not libelous– Made newspapers (eventually) free to publish responsible criticism

of powerful officials

The Great Game of Politics

• In 1775, the 13 colonies had governments that took a variety of forms

• Colonial governors– 8 had royal governors– 3 (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware) were under proprietors who

appointed governors– 2 (Connecticut, Rhode Island) elected their own governors under

self-governing charters

The Great Game of Politics• Colonial legislatures (assemblies)

– Most had 2-house legislatures

– The upper house was chosen by those who appointed the governor (the crown, proprietors, or voters in self-governing colonies)

– The lower house was chosen by people (those with enough property to qualify)

– Backcountry voters were generally underrepresented and resented governmental elites

– Self-taxation through direct and local representatives was an important privilege colonial to voters

• Royal governors– Many were good and able; a few were corrupt and incompetent– Even the best ones had trouble with colonial legislatures because

they represented a far-off authority across the Atlantic

The Great Game of Politics

• Colonial assemblies’ attempts to assert their authority– Withheld governor’s salary unless he did what they wanted

• The governor was normally in need of money (otherwise he would not be in America); most governors gave in

– The London government should have paid governors from independent sources

• 1767 – Townshend taxes arranged to pay governors independent of legislatures; but by that time colonists were already angry over taxation became angrier over new taxes

• Local government– South – county government– North – town-meeting government– Middle – mixture between these 2

The Great Game of Politics• Voting

– Upper classes refused (and feared) full democracy• 1/2 of all adult males were disenfranchised

– Religious and property qualifications; even stricter for office-holding– Ease of getting land meant fulfilling property requirement was

attainable by most– Many eligible voters did not vote

• Allowed upper classes (“betters”) to run colonial affairs• Voted more to kick out bad leaders that to elect good ones

• Democracy– In 1775, America was not a true democracy– America was far more democratic than England and the rest of

Europe, and America was moving toward democracy

Colonial Folkways• Colonial life was drab and tedious, but compared to

Europeans, Americans lived well.• Food

• Plentiful, but coarse and monotonous• Americans ate more (especially of meat) than people in the

Old World• Only the lazy or sick went hungry

• A lack of basic comforts– Churches were not heated, even in the cold winter

– Drafty homes were poorly heated by inefficient fireplaces– No running water, no plumbing, no bathtubs

– Candles and whale-oil lamps gave off faint light at night– Garbage disposal done by hogs or buzzards

Colonial Folkways

• Colonial amusement– Militia musterings (trainings) interspersed with merrymaking– On the frontier: house-raisings, quilting bees, husking bees, apple

parings– Funerals and weddings– Lotteries approved (used by churches to raise money)– South – card playing, horse racing, cockfighting, fox hunting, dancing,

stage plays (but forbidden in North)• Holidays

– Christmas was celebrated by most colonists, but frowned on by Puritans because of its association with Catholicism

– Thanksgiving Day became an American festival, combining God and eating

Colonial Folkways• By the mid 1700s, the colonies were growing together and

becoming more similar– All basically English in language, customs, and Protestantism– Widespread presence of diversity (ethnic/religious) led to some

toleration– Ambitious people had opportunities for social mobility that

Europeans did not have– All had some self-government (though not full democracy)– Communication and transportation among the colonies was

improving– Separated from the ruling authority (England) by 3,000 miles

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